Grievances
by aloquaciousgirl
Summary: Esme is unhappy with the way Rosalie is treating Bella, and finally tells her so. Set during Twilight.


Title: **Grievances**

Rating: PG-13/K+

Pairing/Characters: Canon. Esme. Rosalie.

Summary: Esme is unhappy with the way Rosalie is treating Bella, and finally tells her so. Set during Twilight.

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight. Thank you to her for allowing us to play with her characters.

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Esme considered allowing Rosalie to seethe, but it would not be conducive to the long days and nights that they would have ahead of themselves, protecting Charlie from James. They couldn't afford a mistake here. Carlisle was right, it was their collective choices that had put these humans in danger, and thus, it was their responsibility to protect them.

She however, knew her husband better than to think that what they were doing was less than a responsibility to keep a couple humans who had fallen into their lives, alive. This was about Edward, and she agreed with Carlisle wholeheartedly, any sacrifices that needed to be made so that Edward could be happy were worth it. There was no price too high.

"This is unbelievable!"

She had known that it would not be long before Rosalie voiced her grievance, Rosalie always did.

"Playing babysitter to some foolish human, its a waste of time."

"I don't think you need to be concerned about time, Rosalie. You have plenty of it, without us, Bella's father would have very little."

"What's it to me. Its not my fault his daughter is a magnet for vampires, if she didn't want this, she should have stayed away."

Esme sighed deeply. "Don't say that, Rosalie. Don't _think_ it. Bella is a godsend, at the very least we can make sure that her father isn't harmed because of her association with us."

"Its her fault for not acting like a human, she should have stuck to her own kind, and she wouldn't have a vampire on her tail."

"You are not that unkind, Rosalie." Esme told her, "Don't say such things. Bella never did anything to offend you, or hurt you."

The look in Rosalie's eyes said that she begged to differ.

"She's going to be the death of all of us. Edward should be smarter than this...it would have been one thing to eat her, but this is above and beyond."

Rosalie had gone too far, Esme was tired of the underhanded complaints. "I suppose I was wrong." Her tone was cold, was it really so much for them to give Edward their support? "You truly are unkind enough to wish a pain upon Edward that he doesn't deserve."

Rosalie looked at her angrily. "That's not-"

"Enough." Esme told her. "You verbally attack Bella, you think such horrible thoughts when Edward is already so troubled by such things, you've turned a difficult situation into an altogether miserable one with all your negativity and cruelty."

Rosalie took offense. "I'm just being honest, I don't have to like her. I _don't_ like her."

"Very well. That is fair, you do not have to like her, but do you even care in the slightest that she is the only person I have seen to make Edward so happy. Nearly a century, he has been alone—something that none of us can truly understand, and yet you would rather have him suffer in solitude for another century?" Esme's eyes flashed angrily, as she thought of all the difficulties Rosalie had created. She had no right to deny Edward the one thing that brought him happiness.

"She's human." Rosalie's voice was muted now, her confrontation with Esme had put her off. Esme had never yelled at her before.

"I. Don't. Care." Esme said carefully, "And Rosalie, I can't make you support your brother...but you shouldn't care either. Edward has always been a devoted brother to you, for you to do _anything_ but show him the same love and consideration he would show you now, appalls me. And you know Carlisle agrees that if this is whom Edward loves, that is it."

"I can't." Rosalie said simply, with no more explanation.

"Fine. Dislike her, but keep your opinions and your thoughts, to yourself. I will be very displeased if Edward has to be hurt because of your selfishness, or if Jasper has to make Bella falsely calm because you frighten her. Do you understand me?"

Rosalie was silent, only nodding her head, an icy look in her eyes.

Esme was fine with that, she didn't mind being the villain in this matter. Edward may have been the one that can read minds, but she was his mother...no matter what, she knew his thoughts and his heart. The only thing that she cared about was that he was happy, and whether it was a human or a vampire who could do that for him, was irrelevant.


End file.
